The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents Hal Reed and Kevin Burt for its Blues in the Schools Artists in Residency Series for the week of February 25 to March 1, 2013. Hal and Kevin will conduct their “Generations of Blues” workshops at area schools and two Open to the Public performances:

River Music Experience, Community Stage—Thursday Feb. 28, 7-9 p.m. (2nd and Main Streets in Davenport IA)

Through storytelling, discussions, and musical demonstration, Hal and Kevin will trace blues music’s history and culture from its African roots through today’s era, showing how and where the blues originated and threaded its way through all cultures in our society. The goal is that students today continue to appreciate, understand and carry their fathers’ and mothers’ music into the next generation.

Blues harmonica player, guitarist, singer and educator Hal Reed was born in Mississippi just a few miles from the Delta, where he grew up influenced by his grandfather, a talented southern folk-blues artist who in addition to inspiring young Hal’s love for the blues taught Hal the need to pass it on from generation to generation.

Besides being a bandleader in the Quad-Cities, Hal is also the owner of The Muddy Waters in Bettendorf, where he brings in blues artists every week. And for the past five years he has been a teacher at the River Music Experience’s Winter Blues program. Hal along with Ellis Kell have been the moderators at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival’s BlueSKool, where they have taught and presented the kids from the RME’s Winter Blues program.

Hal has brought his “Generations of Blues” program to area schools three times before, to great acclaim. Kevin Burt joins a team that has included Ellis Kell, Donald Kinsey, Chris Avey, and Bret Dale.

For over 20 years, Kevin “B.F.” Burt has been electrifying audiences throughout the nation, dispelling the myth that true blues has no roots in Iowa. His soul-inspired presentation is unique, which consistently gets him compared to a range of artists like Bill Withers and Aaron Neville, with the ability to build an audience rapport that has been compared to B.B. King. Kevin is a self-taught musician (vocals, harmonica, and guitar) who has also had some stage acting experience. In the off-Broadway play, Klub Ka, the Blues Legend, Kevin played Papa Gee and arranged all of the blues music. The play, which originally ran in Iowa City and then in Washington DC, also had a two week run at LaMama’s Experimental Theater in New York City and was sold out each night. Kevin has also had roles in several other plays at the University of Iowa—for example, playing Whining Boy in the acclaimed August Wilson play The Piano Lesson.

Kevin was recognized as one of the Midwest’s top blues heritage educators by Iowa Governor Chet Culver in 2009, and he has been the MVBS artist in residence for Blues in the Schools before. Kevin is a registered artist educator with the State of Iowa Arts Council. He has written and published a classroom harmonica method book called Just Play It: an Introduction to Blues Harmonica. Kevin has shared the stage with many greats, including Albert Collins, B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Honeyboy Edwards, Janiva Magnus, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Robert Cray, Rod Piazza, Terrance Simien, the Holmes Brothers, the Neville Brothers, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Besides playing at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival and other Midwest blues festivals, Kevin has performed at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife (Washington, DC).

The Hal Reed and Kevin Burt “Generations of Blues” residency is made possible by major support from the Riverboat Development Authority. Additional support is provided by the Iowa Arts Council, the Moline Foundation, Alcoa, KALA-FM, and The Lodge of Bettendorf.

Many new and different grounds attractions also will be featured again this year, according to MVF general manager Bob Fox. They’ll be announced in the next few months.

Fox noted there is no price increase this year for Fair Fun Cards, which are good for grounds admission and are the only way to be admitted into the grandstand. They’re being sold now at the fair office for $40 each. The price goes to $45 after July 6.

Call (563) 326-5338 for more information.]]>rick@rcreader.com (Phil Roberts)Music & EntertainmentTue, 19 Feb 2013 19:24:32 +0000Christian Worship Band forminghttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/christian-worship-band-forming/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/christian-worship-band-forming/www.newcombchurch.org or call the church office at 563 391-7308 for more information and to schedule an audition time.]]>rick@rcreader.com (Shawn Skinner)Music & EntertainmentTue, 19 Feb 2013 15:19:44 +0000Icarus the Owl - Spring Tour Announcementhttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/icarus-the-owl-spring-tour-announcement/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/icarus-the-owl-spring-tour-announcement/Portland Oregon's Icarus The Owl is coming through on their spring '13 tour! The band has been featured on Altpress.com, with the new album Love Always, Leviathan receiving complimentary reviews from Sputnik Music, Absolute Punk and many other review sites. The band will be performing at Rozz Toz in Rock Island on Sunday April 28th.]]>rick@rcreader.com (Zach McLean)Music & EntertainmentFri, 15 Feb 2013 17:25:00 +0000Linden String Quartet Performs at Brucemorehttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/linden-string-quartet-performs-at-brucemore/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/linden-string-quartet-performs-at-brucemore/The Linden String Quartet will perform at Brucemore on Sunday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m. Coached by the legendary Tokyo Quartet, the Cleveland-based Linden String Quartet has been praised for its “remarkable depth of technique and brilliantly nuanced, sumptuous tonality….” (MusicWeb International). The quartet’s members – Sarah McElravy and Catherine Cosbey, violins; Eric Wong, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello – are currently part of the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program, the Auditorium Chamber Music Series (Moscow, Idaho), Sheldon Friends of Music (Lincoln, Neb.) and the Chamber Music Society of Logan, Utah.

The hour-long concert and commentary will take place in the Great Hall of the Brucemore Mansion. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. A light reception will follow the performance. Tickets purchased in advance are $7 per adult and $5 per Brucemore member or student. All tickets at the door are $10. Space is limited; purchase tickets by visiting www.brucemore.org or calling (319) 362-7375.

This performance is made possible by a Better Futures for Iowans grant through The University of Iowa’s Office of the Provost.

About the Linden String Quartet

Described as “riveting” by MusicWeb International, the Linden String Quartet is a winner of the 2010 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Founded in spring 2008, the Quartet has enjoyed remarkable success, also winning the Gold Medal and Grand Prize of the 2009 Fischoff Competition, First Prize at the 2010 Kauder Competition, and the ProQuartet Prize at the Borciani International String Quartet Competition. The Quartet was recently selected for the prestigious A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Fellowship, including a $25,000 award. Featured engagements for the 2012-13 season include the season-opening concert on New York's renowned Schneider Concert Series at the New School and a weeklong residency for the Chamber Music Society of Detroit, culminating in a performance with Grammy award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman. For more information, visit www.lindenquartet.com.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families. Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community. For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

###]]>rick@rcreader.com (Tara Richards)Music & EntertainmentThu, 14 Feb 2013 22:31:52 +0000Mumford and Sons US Festivals to be produced by Central Illinois based promoter Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment sells out in hours!http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/mumford-and-sons-us-festivals-to-be-produced-by-central-illinois-based-promoter-jay-goldberg-events-and-entertainment-sells-out-in-hours/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/mumford-and-sons-us-festivals-to-be-produced-by-central-illinois-based-promoter-jay-goldberg-events-and-entertainment-sells-out-in-hours/Each Stopover combines the intimacy of a community celebration with the excitement of a world-class music festival. This year the Stopovers are expanding to a Friday night concert followed by an all-day Saturday event. Mumford & Sons will headline the Saturday show, alongside an eclectic and energetic roster of artists curated by the band themselves. A series of smaller events involving local businesses, venues, and, most importantly, local people will happen in and around the town.]]>rick@rcreader.com (Gabrielle Falconer)Music & EntertainmentThu, 14 Feb 2013 22:30:13 +0000Nova Singers Presents: VoiceDancehttp://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/nova-singers-presents-voicedance/
http://www.rcreader.com/news-releases/nova-singers-presents-voicedance/Nova Singers, under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, presents two performances of VoiceDance Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Galesburg, and Sunday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport.

Voices dance, whether it’s imitating birds in a Monteverdi madrigal, evoking tenderness in a French love song, or grooving to jazz. In this unique program, Nova will perform classic works by Monteverdi and Poulenc with surprising rhythms. Our fun, modern sets include Haitian rhythms that will make you want to get up and dance! Our vocal jazz set includes VoiceDance by Greg Jasperse as well as arrangements of MLK and God Only Knows. Also featured on the program will be Ubi Caritas, which was composed for the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and first performed at their wedding in April of 2011.

Nova Singers will be joined by students from Project Sing! at each concert. Conducted by Stephen M. LaCroix, the Geneseo Madrigal Singers from Geneseo High School will perform two pieces alongside the Nova Singers.

Artistic Director Laura Lane says that “This is the most challenging program I’ve done with Nova Singers in many years. But I love this music! Every single piece is beautiful, exciting and virtuosic, either rhythmically or harmonically.”

Nova Singers, a professional vocal ensemble under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, hopes to share our musical soul with you. Nova Singers is known for bringing a wide variety of choral music to its audiences, and for the beauty and charm the singers impart to their music.

Tickets will be available at the door. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for seniors. Students are admitted free of charge. Nova Singers season tickets will still be available through this performance. For information about group rates, tickets, recordings, or other Nova Singers events, call 309-341-7038, or e-mail nova@knox.edu. Also, please take the opportunity to visit our Facebook page under the keywords ‘Nova Singers’.

VoiceDance is sponsored by G&M Distributors and Blick Art Materials. Nova Singers’ 2012-2013 season is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Peoria, Ill. – The SMG managed Peoria Civic Center, Live Nation and Comedy Central welcome “The June Gloom Tour” with Daniel Tosh and special guest, Jarrod Carmichael to the Peoria Civic Center Theater on Thursday, June 6th, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The tour kicks off on May 30th in Salt Lake City and travels to over 25 cities across the United States.

“Tosh.0” currently airs on Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central and consists of 30 episodes throughout 2013. The series premiered on June 4, 2009 and features the razor-sharp humor and biting commentary from comedian Daniel Tosh and delves into all aspects of the Internet from the absolutely absurd to the incredibly ingenious in this weekly, topical series.

Tickets are $49.50, $65.00 and go on sale Friday, February 8th at 10 a.m. at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office or by phone at 800-745-3000.

All tickets subject to applicable service charges and fees. Dates and times subject to change without notice.

Theresa Caputo, psychic medium and star of the hit TLC show, Long Island Medium,will be appearing live at the Peoria Civic Theatre on Saturday, April 20th at 7:30pm.Theresa will give interactive readings to audience members throughout the show and willalso share personal stories about her life and her unique gifts. Tickets go on-saleFriday, February 8th at 10am and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com,800.745.3000, or in person at the Peoria Civic Theatre Box Office. Tickets start at$38.75 plus applicable service fees. Purchasing a ticket does not guarantee a reading.

Long Island Medium began its third season on TLC in September, following Theresa’slife as a typical Long Island wife and mom, except for one distinct difference…her abilityto communicate with the dead. Since she cannot “turn off” this gift, messages can comethrough at any time and the local car mechanic, manicurist or cashier at the bagel shopmay find themselves receiving a spontaneous reading from Theresa as she goes abouther daily life. The show also covers how Theresa copes with the special challenges thather unique abilities create for her husband of 22 years, Larry, and her two children, aged17 and 21.

Theresa has been a practicing medium for 10 years and is a certified medium with theForever-Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to connecting science with theafterlife. She helps individuals find closure by connecting them with their departed lovedones. For Theresa, this is not just her job... this is her life.